May is Military Appreciation Month – MRFF Board Member John Compere explains the six significant dates in this month designated by Congress to honor our men and women in uniform

The United States Congress designated May as National Military Appreciation Month in 1999 to provide a grateful nation the opportunity to publicly demonstrate appreciation for the service and sacrifice made by our current and former military members, including those who have died in the pursuit of freedom.

Military Appreciation Month for 2024 includes observances of Loyalty Day, Victory in Europe Day, Military Spouse Appreciation Day, Children of Fallen Patriots Day, Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day.

Loyalty Day (May 1) kicks off this month of military appreciation by reaffirming our national loyalty and reflecting on the proud heritage of our constitutional democracy and individual freedoms. All military members, upon entering military service, take the sworn loyalty oath to support, defend and bear true faith and allegiance to our United States Constitution. It is the affirmation we are one nation under the Constitution and it is the Constitution in which we must trust. We were the first nation independently established by and for “We the People” (Constitution Preamble) with no acknowledgment in the secular Constitution of any other authority (emperor, monarch, dictator, deity, religion, scripture, etc).

Victory in Europe Day or V-E Day (May 8) celebrates the day in 1945 when Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allies marking the end of World War II, Hitler, Nazi fascism and the Holocaust genocide in Europe.

Military Spouse Appreciation Day (May 10) is the Friday before Mother’s Day and honors military spouses with appropriate ceremonies and activities recognizing their contributions, support and sacrifices as well as the role of military families in keeping our military strong and ready.

Children of Fallen Patriots Day (May 13) remembers and acknowledges the children left behind by our fallen military members and the suffering and struggle they have to endure as a result of the death of their parents.

Armed Forces Day (May 18) recognizes the men and women in the active, reserve and national guard components of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and Space Force. It traditionally concludes Armed Forces Week and is a special day of appreciation for those serving, their families and the communities supporting them. It is also a reminder of the military’s importance and the critical role it plays in our independence, freedom and security. There are 1,335,548 active duty members and 793,808 reserve and guard members. 167,206 are deployed worldwide in 70 foreign countries. These are the military men and women currently serving in their uniform.

Memorial Day (May 27) is our national holiday for remembering the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the military service of this country to preserve the freedoms we have as Americans. It memorializes our patriotic military members who gave their lives serving this country. The National Moment of Remembrance Act requests that we pause at 3pm for one minute as an act of national unity to remember our fallen military heroes. Approximately 1,355,000 have perished fighting for this country and over 40,000 remain missing in action. These are the military men and women who served but never made it out of their uniform.

It is also important to remember that Veterans Day is our national holiday every November 11th (commemorating the World War I armistice declared at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918). It honors those patriotic men and women, living or deceased, who have served our country honorably in the military during war or peacetime for any length of service and are no longer serving. There are 16.2 million veterans living in the United States. These are the military men and women who served and have hung up their uniform.  

As loyal and patriotic Americans, we sincerely appreciate and extend genuine gratitude to all past and present military members and their families.

John Compere
Brigadier General, US Army (Retired) 
Disabled American Veteran (Vietnam Era)
Board Member, Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Texas rancher